3* A STUDY OF NAVAJO SYMBOLISM
NAVAJO SYMBOLS IN SAND PAINTINGS AND RITUAL OBJECTS: NEWCOMB 33Fig. 65. Rabbit.Fig. 66. Coyote.times killed ceremonially to obtain fur andother parts for use in various rites, but arenever used for food. Their types are includedin many sand paintings where wateris indicated.The most important food animals are thedeer (fig. 63) and the antelope, for these werethe most abundant in <strong>Navajo</strong> country. Elkand mountain sheep were also hunted as gameanimals, but were more difficult to procure.Sand paintings which are made for the huntersare those made for blessing <strong>of</strong> food, seeds,and reproduction and carry symbols <strong>of</strong> all thegame animals. The bodies, legs, and hooves<strong>of</strong> the deer, antelope, elk, and mountain goat(fig. 64) are all made the same, the body beinga long rectangle with rounded corners, theslim legs bending inwards ending in splithooves. The deer's head is carried high, withfairly long ears and spreading antlers; its coloris generally blue. The yellow antelope has asmaller head, straighter neck, and the antlerspoint forward. The elk is black with longerantlers and longer tail. The gray goat's hornscurve backward. The mountain sheep iswhite, not as slim as the others, and along hisback are curls <strong>of</strong> wool. His horns are thickat the base and coiled to a peak at the tip.These pictures <strong>of</strong> food animals are not symbols<strong>of</strong> abstract powers, but simply stylizedsketches <strong>of</strong> the actual animal. They all havetheir own type <strong>of</strong> magic which each carriesin its horns. Sketches <strong>of</strong> the heads <strong>of</strong> thesefour animals are made to show that the immortals<strong>of</strong>ten appeared disguised in this head mask.Such masks were also worn by hunters whenstalking deer or antelope.It is customary for the hunters to save thehorns, and later these are blessed and used invarious ceremonies. They are also ground upand used in infusion, and sprinkled on hotcoals for incense or as a fumigant."There are two rodents which the prophetsallowed as sources <strong>of</strong> food. These are therabbit (fig. 65) and the prairie dog, and atthe present time these furnish the <strong>Navajo</strong> withabout the only wild meat they have. I askedBilly Yazi how it happened the <strong>Navajo</strong> couldeat prairie dog and not gopher or woodchuck.He answered, "The prairie dog and rabbitlive on grasses, leaves, and roots just the sameas the deer and the antelope, so their flesh isgood to eat." A conventionalized sketch forboth <strong>of</strong> these is to be found in sand paintings<strong>of</strong> several ceremonies.The third class <strong>of</strong> animals consists <strong>of</strong> coyotes,foxes, wolves, dogs, badgers, weasels,pack rats, mice and all animals, bugs or insectsthat live on carrion or act as scavengers. Themyths belonging to the various ceremonies<strong>of</strong>ten mention one or more <strong>of</strong> these, and thecoyote (fig. 66) is the protagonist <strong>of</strong> manytales. But in the sand painting, their sketchesor symbols are rarely used. The Coyote Chanthas four paintings showing the coyote andone with the badger, while the diagnosing"Rite <strong>of</strong> Listening" uses both the coyote andthe dog. These sketches are made <strong>of</strong> cedarashes and charcoal, used during the trancerite; then the ashes and sand are scraped ontoa paper, carried to the north, and placed undera bush.The badger (fig. 67) is not considered asevil as the coyote but still it is said that "only"See section on "Deer and Horns <strong>of</strong> Power" inPart III.
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REFERENCES
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to"Se to.£ £6|"2 5So Ey. cid 2
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REFERENCES
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PRONUNCIATION la as in ah ay as in
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(Continued from inside back cover)P